78-year-old Squid Game actor O Yeong-su has been indicted in his home country on allegations of sexual misconduct, according to reports from South Korean media outlets.
O starred in Netflix's unprecedented 2021 hit series, Squid Game, playing the quirky old man Oh Il-nam (Player 001), who goes on to befriend protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) and establishes himself as one of the show’s key characters. Like fellow Squid Game cast members Jung Ho-yeon, Park Hae-soo, and Lee, O was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in the Korean phenomenon, which has gone on to collect countless awards and accolades over the past year.
The case that sparked O's current legal problems, as reported by Deadline, dates back to an incident that occurred in 2017 with a woman he allegedly touched inappropriately. O defended his position, saying, “I just held her hand to guide the way around the lake. I apologized because [the person] said she wouldn’t make a fuss about it but it doesn’t mean that I admit the charges,” as picked up by South Korean channel JBTC. Suwon authorities initially closed the case earlier this year, but it was reopened due to the victim’s insistence, though not much else has been confirmed by South Korean officials.
Despite acting for the better part of the last 60 years, O didn’t achieve fame until Squid Game. His role earned him a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category. It’s unknown if series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk planned to bring back O for Squid Game's highly anticipated second season, as the only cast members confirmed to return are Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun.
Although the record-setting series was featured during Netflix's most recent TUDUM event, Hwang has said that Squid Game season 2 is two years away, as the show is barely expected to start filming in 2023. Otherwise, Hwang has shared very little info on the matter. The other two elements from the show expected to come back in some form are the creepy dolls - Young-hee's boyfriend Cheol-su lined up as a potentially murderous prop - and the man in the suit famous for challenging downtrodden folks to play ddakji.
Squid Game season 2 will probably follow Gi-hun's path towards revenge, and there have been rumors that the series could head to new borders after leaving clues of this sadistic contest being a global event. At the time of writing, neither Netflix nor anyone directly involved with Squid Game had commented on the allegations against O Yeong-su.
Squid Game season 1 is available on Netflix.